School choice bill driving levy increases

The financial impact of House Bill 203, a 2023 law that allows parents to freely enroll their children into any public school district adjacent to the one they’re living in, is hitting home.

In its annual Notice of Intent to Increase Non-Voted Levies (see page 2), Jefferson High School projected that its levy to district taxpayers for the school’s tuition fund would increase by $335,463, from $94,437 in the current school year. The Clancy School and Montana City School districts have also indicated significant tuition fund levy increases.

Jefferson High officials say the anticipated increase is a function of the new state law,  which is only now taking full effect.“People aren’t going to be happy with the increase, but our goal is to let them know that the choice wasn’t ours,” said JHS superintendent Erik Wilkerson. We’re required by law to take on these tuition costs now.”